The future arrived this fall with delivery of the da Vinci Surgical System, the robotics gear made possible by a partnership between the Medical Center and Alta Bates Summit Foundation.

The da Vinci represents the next great wave in surgical technology and minimally invasive procedures. When the system is online, a surgeon sits at a video monitor a few feet away from the patient and manipulates a robotic arm that deftly controls surgical instruments. The equipment’s pinpoint accuracy promises to speed recovery and reduce risks of complications.

By the end of this year, a team of physicians will be trained in a number of robotic-assisted procedures, including general laparoscopic surgery, prostate cancer surgery, and several types of heart surgeries. “It is very important for us to have this piece of equipment — the first in Oakland or Berkeley,” says Michael A. DiGiacomo, D.P.M., who chaired the $1 million fund-raising campaign.“Because the community responded, we were able to offer this innovation.”